According to the data from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), 37 new officially confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Tajikistan yesterday, bringing a total number of the officially confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country to 13,071 as of the evening of December 23.  

The number of coronavirus-linked deaths remains the same in the country – 89, a MoHSPP says.

40 COVID-19 patients were reportedly discharged after recovery yesterday.  In all, 12,536 (95.8 percent) coronavirus patients have reportedly recovered in the country as of the evening of December 23. 

The COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).  The virus was confirmed to have spread to Tajikistan when its index cases, in Dushanbe and Khujand, were confirmed on April 30, 2020.      

The coronavirus COVID-19 is reportedly affecting 218 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances.

The coronavirus COVID-19 is reportedly affecting 218 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances.

Coronavirus cases around the globe have been reported at 79,057,185 since China reported its first cases to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December last year, Worldometer said today morning (04:22 GMT).  Of them, 55,648,447 have recovered and 1,737,748 have died.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 has now reached every continent after Antarctica recorded its first outbreak.  Citing a statement released by the Chilean Army, CNN says Antarctica has recorded its first Covid-19 case after 36 people tested positive on a research base.

On December 20, the General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme Base, a Chilean research base located on Antarctica's northernmost Trinity Peninsula, reportedly confirmed that 26 army personnel and 10 civilians working as contractors on the base tested positive with COVID-19.

The outbreak comes after at least three people tested positive for COVID-19 on a military vessel that had been supplying logistical support to the O'Higgins base between November 27 and December 10.